# backshift

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈbækʃɪft/

## Definitions
1. The changing of the tense of a verb from present to past in reported speech.
2. A function on a stochastic process whose value on any random variable is the preceding random variable in the process.

## Etymology
From back + shift.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/backshift